I’m blogging a bit out of order. I still need to do a writeup for the Desert Dash Beginner’s Luck 55k.

When I first looked at and registered for the Miwok 100k lottery, I thought it was an easy (relatively) race. I thought this because I looked at the Western States qualifying time of 15 hours 30 minutes (it’s usually 17 hours for a 100k), and I also looked at previous years’ finishing times and saw a lot of fast times. Based on that limited information that I gathered too hastily, I thought this would be a relatively easy 100k. Boy was I wrong! I think I was blinded by all the beautiful race photos that I didn’t look deeper into the details of the race.

As the race approached, I looked further into the details of the race. I saw that it had 11,800 feet of elevation gain. Wait a minute… I thought this was an easy 100k. What about the Western States qualifying time of 15 hours and 30 minutes? Oh. That’s the cut off for the entire race. Also, the other cut offs for the race are tight! What about all those fast times? Oh. Those are the only people that actually finished the race. Upon further investigation, I saw a long list of DNFs each year. Uh oh.

Fortunately, I had pro ultrarunner/coach Ian Torrence create a custom training plan for me. I felt this would help shake up my training a bit because I had been feeling a bit stale. I really enjoyed the training plan.

I had some unavoidable struggles of my own during this training cycle. My job as a tax CPA meant I was putting in huge work hours during the weeks leading up to the race. I was also dealing with a nasty quad strain for most of my training cycle, which limited my hard workouts. Fortunately, local PT, Ron Gallagher with Maximum Velocity, was able to meet with me at times that fit my insane work schedule. I also got pretty sick at one point, which wasn’t fun for work (no days off during tax season) and training.

Fortunately, Ian’s plan helped get my training on track and Ron was able to get my quad issue fixed before the race. I felt pretty good heading into this race. I wasn’t entirely sure what my goal time should be. My time at the Cuyamaca 100k was 11:59 and the Miwok 100k appeared to be easier so I thought perhaps I could do similar or better than 12 hours. Still, I knew the Cuyamaca 100k was a great race effort for me so I wasn’t sure if it could be duplicated.

The Miwok 100k really is an iconic ultramarathon. The course is incredibly beautiful. It starts at Stinson Beach, on the north side of the Golden Gate bridge from San Francisco.

I flew in early with my family and got a chance to play tourist in San Francisco before the race. I found a carpool that would pick me up from my hotel en route to the start of the race. One of the other members of the carpool also picked up my bib.

I was picked up at 3am so we could pick up the other members of the carpool and get to the starting area at Stinson Beach by 4am in order to be ready for the race start by 5am. For the other three members of my carpool, it was their first 100k.

The check in and pre-race set up was very efficient. It was still dark at the start. I was milling around and someone asked me where I was from. I replied that I was from Las Vegas and someone else nearby said, “Massey?” It was Matt Clark (or ‘ultratrailmatt’) whom I knew from Instagram and must have figured I was the only one there from Vegas, haha. It was nice to meet him and we had a good chat.

I wished Matt well and moved up towards the front of the starting line in hopes to avoid too much of a bottleneck on the Dipsea trail. No such luck! After the start, everyone except maybe the very front of the pack were clogged up climbing the Dipsea. That was a tough climb to start a race! Those steps seemed to keep going as I climbed in the dark trying to avoid poison oak (it was everywhere!). As I was approaching the top of the Cardiac knoll and the light was just beginning to appear, I heard a sound… https://youtu.be/B6FtMOo9QcI

A bagpiper! It was so cool.

As the race went on, I felt really good. There were some tough climbs and I was doing my best to keep my effort relatively easy.

The course is very hilly. So many rollers with some very steep climbs. Many of the climbs are towards the beginning of the race. I was just hoping that after all the climbs, I would still have something left at mile 50.

As you can see, the views were unreal and it just kept getting better.

I loved descending down to Muir Beach (even though I knew I would have to come back up that climb). The aid stations were fantastic. They were so efficient. They weren’t gimmicky. The volunteers were very knowledgable, super friendly, and so helpful. They were so focused on making sure you did your best. It was really appropriate for this race.

This race is intense. The cut offs are tough. So, the races draws some fast runners. It is very competitive. It makes the race a challenge for everyone. I felt like I would be fine with the cut offs, but anything can happen in an ultra. If I had a bad day, I could easily find myself chasing cut offs. The challenge adds to the experience. We do ultras because they’re hard.

Back to the views…

What’s that in the distance?

An awesome view of the Golden Gate Bridge during the race! So cool!

It was just nonstop scenery. For the first 30 miles, I was feeling great.

I tried to take some pictures while I ran, but they turned out terrible. I was glad I stopped to take some. I think I took more pictures during this race than any other race I’ve done.

Remember how I mentioned the volunteers being amazing? YiOu Wang, professional ultrarunner (sponsored by Under Armour) was there to greet me and help fill my water bottles at the Cardiac aid station. I was a little dumbstruck at the moment, thinking, is this really happening? Seriously, in what other sport do you have pros volunteering at events to help some nobody like me?

I regret not getting a picture. I’m usually *that guy* that asks for a picture. I have no shame.

Instead, more scenery:

I felt like I was still doing okay through mile 40. I had just gotten through the big climb out of Muir Beach and I was heading towards the Muir Woods. I knew I would pick up my pacer, get through one last climb, and then the final stretch.

Let me tell you about my pacer. I had mentioned on my Instagram about doing the Miwok 100k and an ultrarunner friend I only knew from Instagram that is local to the area agreed to come out and pace me. It was helpful because he had the experience and has run those trails many times. I wasn’t sure how having someone pacing me that I didn’t know well might turn out but I was optimistic.

I was hoping to make it to the Randall aid station to meet my pacer within the timeframe I told him but I was starting to cut it close to the schedule I had given him.

I met a lot of cool people out on the trails and had some great conversations. It was at this point (the picture above) that the leaders of the race came flying by back towards the finish. I was amazed at how they could be moving so well after so many miles.

I feel like I didn’t over-extend my effort early in this race. I felt like my hydration was going well. I was doing my best to consume a lot of calories. I did well with the calories early on in the race but I was falling off a bit towards the end of the race. Still, I wasn’t doing too bad. I was getting tired and sore. I was wearing my Altra Lone Peaks and my feet felt about as good as I could expect them to feel. But, I was slowing down. I felt if I could just get to my pacer, get some more calories, finish that last big climb, and then I would be ready to crush those last miles to the finish.

The Muir Woods (see above) were so beautiful and fun to run through. It was at this point of the race that Jesse Haynes, one of the Team Altra elite runners, came flying by. Also, later in my trek through the woods, Eric Byrnes, former professional baseball player, came running by.

There was a punishing descent down to the Randall aid station. As I went down, I dreaded the thought of coming back up it. At the aid station, I met my pacer who helped me refill my bottles and get ready. Off we went back uphill. We chatted for a bit, getting to know each other. It helped to take my mind of the running. I told him I was in bad shape at this point of the race (as if it wasn’t obvious, haha). Once we got to the top of the climb, I was alternating walking the uphills and running the downhills on the rollers. Those downhills were starting to hurt! So, I was getting too fatigued for the uphills and the downhills hurt too much, haha. This is definitely NOT the course for that to happen on because it’s rarely flat.

On we went…

My pacer did a great job of encouraging me and motivating me to run a bit more each time. I think he tricked me a bit pulling out his camera and taking pictures of me running because he knew (like most runners), that I didn’t want pictures of me walking, so I would pick up the pace when he did that, haha.

It was tough because mentally, I was still in the race. I really wanted to do well but I just couldn’t physically get myself to do it.

So. Many. Rollers.

My pacer noticed I wasn’t getting quite enough calories and offered me a gel. I hadn’t had that type of gel before but I figured that I needed something to shake me out of my rut. At least it tasted great! As I got closer to the finish (it still seemed so far away), I tried to run more when I could. I think the gel was pulling me out of it or I was just excited to be close to the finish.

As we started the final descent down Matt Davis trail, I knew it would be a punishing few miles. Still, I was determined to cruise down it as best as I could. There was another runner that had been behind me most of the previous 3-4 miles. As we started the final descent, he tucked in behind me and my pacer. I could just sense that he was going to tuck in there and wait until the end to make his move. I didn’t like the idea of that so I picked up the pace even more. My pacer was excited and we were passing more and more people on these last few miles. I had to be careful because there were so many roots, stone steps, and wooden steps (those hurt). I asked him if anyone was coming up behind and he assured me nobody was… until the final moment (my pacer warned me he was making his move) when we crossed the final bridge coming towards the finish, the runner who had tried tucking in behind me strode ahead of me looking strong.

Grrrrrrrr

He was getting far ahead of me but then I put down one of the biggest finish line kicks of my life at the end of a 62 mile run. People saw me sprinting towards the end. The cheers got louder. The guy in front of me must have assumed the cheers were for him because he never looked behind him. I came flying in and finished ONE SECOND ahead of him. That was satisfying.

It was a nice way to finish a really tough day. I finished 13:34:33 qualifying again for the Western States Endurance Run. I’ll have two tickets next year.

In summary… it’s hard to evaluate this race. Was I hoping to have a better finishing time? Yes, a much better finishing time. Still, I should be happy with finishing at all, getting WS100 qualifier, and having such a unique experience. Why did I get so fatigued at the end? Maybe it was the quad strain, the heavy work hours, or some other factors or combination of factors. I was still in the race mentally. I usually find that some of my races right after my heavy work season aren’t my best performances. So perhaps I should take that into consideration when evaluating how this race went. It was also hard for me to pick a goal time for this race so I feel like my goal was a bit open-ended. Considering the long list of DNFs I saw posted, I should be happy that I finished at all. Out of the 3 people I carpooled with in the morning doing their first 100k, only one of them finished. Yeah, it was tough.

Nonetheless, I got through it and I was hungry! My pacer was helpful in encouraging me to focus on getting food after the race, and we totally forgot to get a picture together. Bummer! Oh well, I’m sure we’ll meet again at a future event. Maybe I’ll get to pace him!

The meal at the finish line was fantastic! I sat near the finish and watched people come in. Before I left, the time on the clock was nearly 15:30 and there were some folks that finished less than a minute before the cut off and that was so exciting! There were also some folks that finished just after the cut off. It was heart-wrenching to see their reactions upon realizing they had just barely missed it.

I love this little unique medal. It represents a lot of hard work and a beautiful experience. I also got a runrabbit tech shirt (it’s really nice!), a Miwok/Golden Gate buff, a mug, Tecnu, and some other nice goodies.

I also made sure to use Tecnu to (hopefully) get rid of the poison oak oils that may have rubbed on me during the race. There was poison oak everywhere! It was interesting hobbling around after a 100k and then having Tecnu hosed off with cold water, haha. Still, it’s been a couple days and no poison oak rash so far (fingers crossed).

Apparently I missed Magda Boulet at the finish line visiting people. I finished too late! I would have really liked to have met her. However, I did get to meet (and I remembered to ask for a picture) The Rocket!

Really nice guy!

Some of the gear/nutrition I used: Altra Lone Peaks 3.0, Nuun Hydration, Honey Stinger, Injinji socks, Desert Dash Trail Junkie hat, Salomon ultra vest, GU gels, and some foraging at the aid stations for super ultra nutrition like Mt Dew and Coke.

The next day was spent doing some active recovery walking around San Francisco.

This is such a great race. The organization and volunteers were superb. If you want to do one of the most beautiful races that is also quite challenging, check this one out.

 

 

 

Across the Years 24 Hour Race

I knew this was going to be a special race. The pre-race fundraiser for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) was successful. Together we raised over $2,000 for suicide prevention in honor of my nephew, Deven. The fundraiser link can be found here:

http://afsp.donordrive.com/campaign/deven

This was my first attempt at being a charity runner. This race is held in Glendale, Arizona, near Phoenix. My brother and sister-in-law do an annual walk in December in Deven’s honor in the area also, plus they live down there. Choosing this particular race to do something special for a charity that is meaningful to me made sense.

My training went well before the race. I recovered from the Dead Horse Ultra 50 miler and prepared myself for the 24 hour race with some good training weeks before I tapered. I ended up running two training marathons on consecutive Fridays. One of which was Desert Dash’s Trails of Glory. The other marathon was a random late-night run of 26.5 miles.

I must say that it’s really nice tapering during the holidays. Less running and more family time at the perfect time of year.

Even though I felt good, you just never know with a race of that length. My goal was to go at least 100 miles within the 24 hour race. Based on previous experience, I felt like this was obtainable if things went reasonably according to plan. You can never consider a 100 miler a guaranteed finish though.

For those of you not familiar with the timed format for races, I’ll explain a bit. Normally, in most races you have a set distance to run. Whomever runs that set distance the fastest wins. In these timed races, you have set time-frame in which you run. Whomever runs the most distance during that set time wins. I feel like there are pros and cons to this format. It is nice knowing exactly how long the race will be. There are no DNFs in this format so it’s a good opportunity for runners to test themselves and see how far they can go. For some runners that struggle to make course cutoffs at 100 mile races, this format allows them to attempt 100 miles over multiple days without the risk of being pulled from a race.

Across the Years is put on by Aravaipa Running. The course is a flat 1.0498 mile loop (that extra .0498 is important when you’re running a lot of loops) in the LA Dodgers/Chicago White Sox spring training facility. The race began in 1983 and a lot of records have been set at this event. They offer 24 hour races on different days, allowing you to choose which day you want to start. The one starting on Dec 31st is the most popular (hence the name of the race). There are also 48 hour, 72 hour, and 6-day options.

Despite all that, I wasn’t sure how excited I was to be running 1 mile loops for 24 hours.

I got there just early enough to get my bib and shirt. Across the Years has legacy bib numbers. If you do the race multiple years, you always have the same bib number. It was cool seeing some older runners out on the course with some low numbers on their bibs.

I saw a comment from a friend on Instagram saying that the hard part (fundraising) was over and now I could enjoy the run. That struck me as true, especially for someone like me that found fundraising to be outside my comfort zone. Still… 100 miles is… 100 miles. It wouldn’t exactly be easy.

My family helped set up my tent with my nutrition, hydration, and other supplies in it. My brother brought me a custom printed shirt for the race with Deven’s picture on it and the words “I Run For Deven.”

I didn’t have much time to really think about what I was embarking on because the race was about to start!

I started off at a relaxed but probably too quick pace. I knew the initial excitement of starting would soon wear off and I would settle into an easier pace. The weather was perfect at the start. I knew it would warm up a bit during the day but not too bad. One issue was that the forecast called for rain. I brought the right supplies for that and hoped for the best.

I could see the other runners already on the course. Some of them had already been in a race for 24 or even 48 hours. I wondered what they thought as they saw us take off from the start looking and feeling fresh. One of them laughed and said, “Ah, fresh meat.”

My family hung around for the first few hours (for the first marathon or so) and checked on me every so often to see if I needed anything. For about the first 30 miles, I stuck to drinking Nuun and consuming gels. That was working well. As the day went on, it did warm up but remained comfortable.

Around and around the loop I went. My family left and said they would return in the evening to check on me. I chatted with some of the other runners throughout the race. It’s a nice social event for many of the participants because you see so many of the same people repeatedly on the loop path. I met some other runners from Utah, one of which I knew from Instagram. I chatted with Karen from Las Vegas. She was doing six separate 24 hour runs as part of her quest to do as many marathon or more distance events in a 365 day period. I also met another Altra ambassador named Lint. He’s an avid thru-hiker so I enjoyed learning about his experiences. Your name and state/country flag are also printed on your bib so you get to know people that way too. I met some record holders and one lady attempting to beat the 100 mile Canadian record for her age group.

I mostly dialed in a reasonable pace, listened to Dean Karnazes’ new audiobook “Road to Sparta,” and cruised along. I ended up listening to the entire audiobook during the event.

I was moving pretty well. It is a nice flat course, so I ended up setting a PR for the 50 mile distance and the 100k distance along the way by a small amount. Still, it didn’t seem too fast to me. I was on target for my goal.

I came to realize my tent/personal aid setup wasn’t doing me any favors in this event. Even though it initially seemed like it wasn’t too far off the course, those extra steps were much more noticeable later in the race. I would have to go to my tent, lean down, rummage through my stuff, etc. That got less comfortable to do as the race went on.

As the sun was setting, it began to rain lightly. It wasn’t too bad. It cooled me down so that was nice. As the rain went on, it created puddles all around the course. Soon you could see everyone on the course trying to choose the line on the course with the fewest puddles to keep their feet dry.

Before returning, my brother asked if I wanted anything. I told him some red grapes would be nice if he could get some. Some of the random cravings during ultras are funny. I also remember really enjoying red grapes during my last 100 miler.

My brother and sister-in-law came back to see me when I was about 12 hours into the event. The race has a guest bib system that runners are supposed to follow. Guests check out a guest bib. They’re supposed to do only one lap with their runner but if there isn’t a big demand for the bibs, they may do more. It isn’t supposed to be for pacing. My brother joined me for a couple laps. We talked about the race and I explained some things about ultrarunning to him and answered his questions. We talked about the fundraiser and how it was fun experiencing this event together. Then, my brother switched out and my sister-in-law joined me for a couple laps. I also chatted with her a bit about ultrarunning. These events must look so crazy to people unfamiliar with the sport. We also had a great discussion about Deven and the good that has been done in his honor. We may have gotten a bit emotional. It was a special moment that I will always cherish.

After they headed home, I went to my tent and changed into some dry socks before I got much deeper into the mileage. I was worried my feet would swell, making the task of changing socks and putting my shoes back on much more difficult.

Another thing I did (for the first time) was charge my running watch on the run. I have a Garmin 910XT and I knew the battery supposedly had a 20 hour life while running so it wouldn’t last the entire race. I read online that if I connected the charger while it was still in the middle of run mode that the screen would show that it was charging but the watch would still record my running. I brought one of those portable USB power packs that I had recently obtained at a Christmas gift exchange. I plugged in the charger to the power cell, clipped the charger to my watch, held the power cell in my hand, and went on running. It took a few laps to fully charge again. Once I removed the clip, sure enough, it had kept recording my data. Success!

I enjoyed the evening hours. There were fewer people on the course as the night went on. I’m sure many of the multi-day runners were sleeping. It made sense to rest while it rained since they probably needed it anyway. The rain died down and the hours actually passed quite quickly.

My nutrition began to fall off a bit. Okay… maybe more than a bit. I couldn’t bear the thought of another gel. I ate a Honey Stinger waffle and supplemented from the aid station. I drank Coke and Mt Dew in addition to my hydration mix. I ate bananas and grapes. Late in the evening, I had some warm broth, which was magical. The aid station also cooked up some sushi which sounded fun but I didn’t think it’d be a good idea to eat during the race.

I was a little worried about my nutrition. I wasn’t taking enough in. Still, I was probably at a slow enough pace that I was mostly burning fat and didn’t need as many quick calories. I was amazed at what I was doing with relatively low calories being consumed during the race.

During my first 100 miler, I had a really low point around 74 miles. Fortunately, I never hit a really low point during this race. My head was in a good place. At times, I would think about Deven and remember why I was there. Even when I was getting up there in miles, I didn’t stress it like I did in the previous 100 miler. I believe the experience of knowing that I had done it before and I made it through assured me that the same would happen at this race. I remembered to be patient and just keep moving forward as consistently as possible.

The evening hours surprisingly passed by quickly. Each runner wears a transmitter around their ankle that beeps when you pass over the mats at the start/finish and the halfway point. When a runner passed the mat at the start/finish area, their name, placement, total laps, total mileage, and such would show on a screen. It was fun to watch my mileage increase as time went on. Quite a few runners had already done the 24-hour race on the two previous days. Their total distance was already built into the standings. I started the race as 20th male in the 24 hour race and it was a lot of fun to see that decrease as the race developed. It would be a nice encouraging surprise to cross the mat and see I had moved up a position in the standings.

I must say the volunteers at the event were fantastic. They were very helpful and encouraging. If they had something on hand, they would get it to you. The nice thing was that you could request something, then go do another loop, and when you came back, they would have it ready for you. During the very late hours, there was an older gentleman with a big beard at the halfway mat/station. He looked like a cool biker guy. That guy went out of his way to say something encouraging to me every… single… loop… even when it was pouring rain… all through the night. Often he would give me high fives or fist bumps. I really appreciated that he was there.

During my first 100 miler, my feet/legs really started to hurt in the 70ish mileage area. At this race, that didn’t happen until the 90s for mileage. I wore my Altra Olympus’ so the extra cushion may have helped. Even then, it didn’t seem as bad… until…

Something else happened around mile 95… suddenly the sky opened up and it started POURING. I had hoped the rain was done and the puddles would slowly go away. This was not good. Not good at all. The worst thing was that my shoes and socks were completely soaked. I felt like I was way too far into the race and so close to 100 miles to stop and change socks or shoes now. I decided to keep going with soaking shoes and if it got unbearable I would deal with it then. At least I didn’t care about dodging big puddles anymore.

Before the rain, I had a good idea of when I would get to 100 miles. During/after the rain, it delayed me a bit. Still, I got to 100 miles at 20:37 per my watch and a bit after that (but before 21 hours) on the course timing. I had a little more mileage due to aid station/tent/bathroom visits and perhaps not running the tangents perfectly (especially due to the puddles). Still, it was quite a PR for me over my previous 100 mile time of 21:42.

It’s funny passing 100 miles in the late night/early morning all alone. I just smiled and said a quiet celebratory ‘yes!’ as I reached it.

As I had approached 100 miles and moved beyond it, I still had a good chunk of time left on the clock. I wasn’t about to simply stop. I saw that the amazing 100 miler ultrarunner, Davy Crockett, had posted on Facebook before I started my race that he was currently the first place male at Across the Years with 105 laps (about 110 miles). Personally, I was planning on doing my best and getting in as many laps as possible with the time left but it’s nice to have something to shoot for as motivation.

My family arrived as I completed lap 105 tying Davy for 1st place male. I ran (walked a bit) of the next lap with my oldest daughter. She got to see the board when we crossed the mat with 1st place male on it. She likes to tell people about my running. It’s nice to see that she’s proud of her Dad and maybe even still thinks I’m cool for now (she hasn’t hit the teenage years yet). Next, my middle daughter ran my last lap with me. She’s so sweet keeping me company as a struggled to keep my pace quick enough to finish that lap before the 24 hours elapsed. My youngest daughter didn’t want to run with me because the course was too muddy and she didn’t want to get her favorite boots muddy. It made me laugh because that’s totally her personality.

I crossed the finish line with my family all there. I had completed 107 laps for 112 miles and 1st place male at the time. It was wonderful to share that moment with everyone.

My family was kind enough to help me out by taking down the tent and packing my gear. My next stop was to get my buckle! They gave me the 100 miles buckle and a big glass beer stein. I wouldn’t know if I would still be in a position to receive a podium award until the next morning after that day’s 24-hour runners had completed their race.

After I got my buckle and stein, I immediately went to the medical tent with a pair of dry socks and shoes. I was worried how my feet would look after all that running, especially the last 4.5 hours in wet shoes and socks. Inside the medical tent, I met with an extremely nice medic named Lloyd. He asked about my “I Run For Deven” shirt and we chatted about our personal losses. He had recently lost a loved one and remarked how important my cause was to so many people. As Lloyd helped another runner with his feet, I removed my socks and shoes, then put my feet up near a heater to let them dry. The other runner’s feet looked bad. Lloyd was worried about removing some taping from his feet in fear that a lot of skin would come off with it. I looked at my feet and they didn’t seem too bad. When Lloyd came over, he held both of my feet in his hands, cupping them by my heels. He looked at them and paused.

“What race did you do?”

“The 24 hour race.”

“And how far did you go on these feet?”

“I ran 112 miles. I didn’t stop and kept running when it rained. I ran the last 4 and a half hours with wet shoes and socks.”

Another pause. I was getting worried.

Then he exclaimed, “These feet are amazing!”

He said there was some minor maceration, a few minor blisters that didn’t need to be lanced (although one blister was on another blister, haha), and that was really it. He said all he needed to do was just clean up my feet and I was good to go. Whew!

It was time to wind down, take a nap, and eat a lot! After a nap, I even attempted to do some bowling with my family, which they found entertaining as I would hobble up to the lane to throw the ball.

At the subsequent 24 hour race the next day, some amazing runners would bump me down to 3rd place male.

I’m extremely happy with the results of this race and more so with the fundraiser (and impact from such) before the race. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy the race aspect of a 1 mile looped course but I really had a great time. Aravaipa Running did an exceptional job. I would highly recommend this race to others that are interested in this race format. I would definitely consider doing this race again in the future.

Dead Horse Ultra

I wanted to finish out the year with another 100 miler. My friend, Josh, and I had been looking at the Chimera 100. However, things weren’t falling into place to be able to do that race. There were moments when Josh was in, but I would be unsure. Then, we would switch places. When it comes to running 100 miles, you need to 100% committed to the goal or it’s going to be too easy to quit… and at some point you will want to quit.

The Chimera 100 passed by and I ended up choosing the Across the Years 24-hour race at the end of December (hence the name of the race). This worked out well because it takes place in Arizona. I have wanted to do something to raise money for the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention since I lost my teenage nephew, Deven, last year. My brother’s family lives in Arizona so it seemed like the perfect event. I decided I would raise money for this charity along with doing the race.

I would encourage you to check out the fundraiser page here: afsp.donordrive.com/campaign/deven

I’ll post a recap of that event afterward.

This left my race schedule with an opening in November. A lot of friends from Vegas were doing the Dead Horse Ultra in Moab, UT. The 50 miler was perfect timing on my schedule.

Before the race on Saturday, I thought I would leave late Thursday to head to Moab, sleep in late to get a good long rest, and then get up early Saturday. I have trouble sleeping the night before a race anyway.

Well, that didn’t exactly work out.

I left later on Thursday than I wanted to. At least I arrived in time for a beautiful sunrise at Dead Horse Point. Then, I had trouble sleeping Friday. Oh well, it’s a learning experience, right?

Friday I checked into the race, got my bib, a fun-looking Dead Horse shirt, and a sweet Dead Horse trucker hat. It was fun hanging out with a lot of friends from Vegas for a bit on Friday when I wasn’t trying to sleep.

Saturday morning, we carpooled to the start and it was cold for those of us that are used to Las Vegas temperatures. I used layers like arm sleeves because I knew it would warm up later in the day.

When I was researching the course online, it looked fairly flat and fast for a 50 miler. The course also looked like it would be beautiful and a lot of fun. I was hoping to break my PR from my 50 miler at Autumn Leaves even though this would be a more difficult course. I felt like I had improved enough since that race to make that goal.

I started out the race going pretty fast but I was feeling comfortable so I went with it. The slickrock out in Moab, UT was a lot of fun to run on. It made for an interesting winding course. The views along the course were absolutely amazing. It’s such a privilege to run in a place like this, nestled in amongst Arches, Badlands, and Dead Horse Point.

Early on in the race, I jammed my toe hard into the slickrock. That hurt! There was no give in that slickrock. That toe still has some numbness even as I’m writing this post.

At one of the early aid stations, I cruised into it and did a grab ‘n’ go after checking in. At this particular aid station, you had to make a left-hand turn, run into the aid station, head back the way you came, then turn left again back on the course. I encountered a friend of mine at that turn. Rather than head towards the aid station, he just kept following me. Fortunately, I corrected him, telling him to turn towards the aid station. I don’t know if he would have been disqualified for not checking in but I didn’t want him to take that chance. I would hate to have that happen. I believe runners should help each out, even while racing.

As I got to the halfway point way too early, I knew I had started too fast. Funny enough, some friends of mine running the 50 miler came into the halfway aid station around the same time. I wonder if they were thinking the same thing.

One odd thing I noted was that the section to the halfway point was an out-and-back and there was no check in or verification (like a hole punch in the bib or sticker) to ensure a runner ran the whole thing rather than turning around early. Still, this was the first year of the 50 miler so I guess they wouldn’t know there would be a lack of verification also.

I hit a rough patch at this point. I was just grinding along through it. A few of my friends passed me up. It was nice when they encouraged me. After a little while, I started to pick it back up and feel good again. I caught up with my friends, Doug and Josh, near the 30 mile mark. We bounced around a bit until we all settled in and ran as a group.

We ended up running the rest of the race together! We all went through ups and downs for the rest of the race. We talked, walked, and worked through it. We traded off leading the group.

One thing I did not anticipate was the toll running on all that slickrock would take. Towards the end of the race my feet, hips, and legs were sore! The toe I had jammed early on in the race was throbbing at this point. Still, we were all feeling it and we kept pushing on.

As the end of the race approached, we had to make a decision. Do we all want to finish this race together or should we battle it out for the finish? It was unanimous. We all wanted to finish together. Unfortunately, a couple miles out from the finish, I had a rough patch. I was running low on energy and couldn’t quite keep up. I encouraged the other guys to move ahead. Most times when I approach the end of the race I can dig deep and push to the end. This time, I just had nothing left.

I figured the other guys went ahead and finished since I had fallen so far behind. They deserved to finish before me. I cruised along slowly towards the finish.

When I got to the finish area, Doug and Josh were there waiting for me. It was such a cool gesture. Crossing the finish line with them was such a special moment that I won’t forget. It was better than the competition.

It reminded me of the quote:

“The reason we race isn’t so much to beat each other,… but to be with each other.”
? Christopher McDougall, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Plus, I beat my PR too!

After finishing the race, I was spent and took a little nap on the ground, haha. Once I got up, I had some of the famous enchiladas that Mad Moose events offers. They were excellent! I may need to do another one of their races just for the enchiladas.

The finishers’ awards were cowbells, which many of us put to good use ringing them as other Vegas friends and new friends we met on the course came in for the finish.

I would recommend this event to anyone looking for a unique trail run. Mad Moose did an exceptional job with organization. The landscape is beautiful and the location is perfect with opportunities to check out Arches, Badlands, and Dead Horse nearby.

Nutrition/Hydration: Nuun Active, Honey Stinger chews/waffles, and GU gels. I had some really good cherry coke at one of the aid stations too.

Gear: Altra Lone Peak 3.0, Salomon Ultra Vest, Nike Dri-fit tights, Drymax socks, Patagonia shirt, Desert Dash Trail Junkie hat

Tushar Trail Marathon by Steve

Andrew and I felt a little out of breath just walking up some steps after arriving near the starting line. That was definitely not an encouraging feeling when you’re going to be running a marathon the next day with about 7,400 ft of vertical gain and the course has a peak at 12,000 ft altitude in the race. The starting line was at an altitude over 10,000 ft already.

What a beautiful place to run, though! The scenery was absolutely breathtaking (pun-intended). The Tushar mountains in Utah are truly a unique place. This race is put on by the great people at Ultra Adventures/Grand Circle Trails. They always put on quality events.

We had a nice big group of runners from Las Vegas up for the race. Many of us camped out before and after the event.

I really didn’t know what to expect out of this course with so much climbing and altitude. I wasn’t sure how spending that much time at altitude would affect my ability to run. After looking at the course and other runners’ times from previous years, I estimated I would finish between 6 and 7 hours. I would be happy with that.

Our friends Brad and Jared started earlier than us Saturday morning because they were running the 93k… and because they’re much tougher than me.

Still, we had a nice group of folks at the start line for the marathon and half:

Also, I got to take a picture with Timothy Olson (Western States 100 course recorder holder), who happened to be standing near me:

Before the race, Andrew was teasing me about taking off from the starting line. I assured him that with all the climbing in this race, I wasn’t about to break into a sprint off from the start. Once the race began, we ran together for a bit, and then Andrew took off! I didn’t see him until the end of the race, haha.

My friends Josh and two Matts (two guys with the same first name Matt, hehe) ran together for a while at the beginning. Then, it was just Josh and I. There was so much steep climbing. Practically the whole race was either climbing or descending. This is the only race I’ve used trekking poles for just about the entire thing. Still, the views during the race were fantastic.

There was a bit of rainy weather but nothing too bad. Josh and I were cruising along well. When we got to about 9.5 miles, we knew it was time for the big climb up to Delano Peak. This was a tough… long… steep… climb to 12,169 ft with a serious lack of oxygen. We just kept putting one foot in front of another (with the occasional stop for a picture) and eventually made it to the top.

After all that climbing, I was hoping to push the pace on the downhill. However, the downhill was very technical so it wasn’t easy to get as much speed as I had hoped. After a bit more climbing (of course), Josh and I ran through a beautiful wooded downhill section with terrain that we could move a bit faster on.

Later at about 19 miles in, I was starting to fade a bit. Josh was still feeling strong so he pushed ahead. I don’t know if it was the altitude, my training cycle for this race, all the climbing, something else or a combination of things, but I just couldn’t muster up a strong finish (unlike my race at the Cuyamaca 100k).

Naturally, this race would end with a climb up a little ski hill to the finish. I finished in 6:19:55, which was within my goal time. I didn’t have an exceptional race but it was a solid effort on a tough course. It was nice to see how well our group of Vegas runners performed at the race with five of us finishing in the top 20. Andrew finished 4th!

I’ve probably already written too many words about this event because the real story about this race is in the photos from the course.

But wait, there’s more!

After Andrew and I finished the race and recovered for a bit, we decided we would try to find Brad and Jared at an aid station to possibly crew and/or pace them. Matt offered to give us a ride over to an aid station we thought Brad or Jared *might* be near within the current time frame.

As we drove over, we saw some really cool scenery we missed by not running the 93k, which has tempted me a bit to go back at run it in a future year.

As we pulled into the aid station and got out, Timothy Olson (who won the marathon) got out of his vehicle. He asked me where the aid station was and I pointed the way. I congratulated him on winning the race and he asked me how my race went. He’s a really nice guy! He was there to crew his wife, who was running the 93k.

We walked into the aid station together and Brad showed up at almost the exact same time! Perfect timing! Brad wasn’t sure if he was hallucinating when he saw Timothy Olson and me walking into the aid station at precisely the right time. Brad had another friend there (on bike) to help crew/pace. We quickly decided that Andrew and I would pace him [Brad] to the next aid station, his friend would ride ahead to the next aid station, and then he [the other friend] would pace Brad to the finish.

Although Andrew and I had recently run a tough marathon, we were able to keep up with Brad in the middle of his 93k for the next 6.2 miles. Hopefully we helped him. I think it’s nice to have some new encouraging company for a bit just to help break up the monotony.

When we arrived at the next aid station, we gave Brad’s friend an update on his status. He then gave us his keys so we could get his car (and ourselves) back to the starting line. He gave us directions back to the starting line. Andrew and I hopped in his very nice luxury SUV and then I said, “You know… a complete stranger just handed us the keys to this car.” We then proceeded to follow the directions back to the starting line and got lost in the process. We eventually made it out of the wilderness area, pulled over at a gas station in a small town and asked for directions. We began to follow the directions… and promptly got lost again. Good times driving all around the dirt roads crossing the Tushar wilderness area.

We eventually made it back to the start/finish line area (even looking at the maps I’m still not sure what we did). We realized, even with our accidental detours, we were there a bit too early for Jared and Brad to come in so we decided to head back to the campground for a bit. We pulled up in our newly acquired vehicle. A few over our friends quickly came marching over (apparently they were going to tell us to move because people kept trying to park in their camping spot while we were gone). Then they saw it was actually us.

“Where did you get this?!?”

“Some guy we just met handed us the keys. Seriously.”

Later, we headed back over to the finish area. During the time we waited, we were so inspired watching those runners come in. The cutoff for the race was approaching. Due to the difficulty of this distance, many great runners were close to the cutoff. We heard about a bear sighting, course markers being removed by hunters and subsequently hurriedly replaced by race staff at night, and groups of runners banding together to make it to the finish as a group. It was amazing to see their joy and relief at completing this race.

Jared and Brad came in with plenty of time before the cutoffs. It was so impressive to see them conquer that course.

If you’re looking for a race to really challenge you, this is it. You will be handsomely rewarded with the beauty of this area and the accomplishment.